Gold’s is offering one week for free promotion to test out their gym and if you like it, you can start paying. Sounds good right? Wrong.

I went to Gold’s in Middletown, NY on Friday at 4. The place was empty which is exactly what I was looking for. I could do without the grunters and weight droppers and also do without the teenagers and riff raff at the cheaper gyms. Gold’s hit a home run as soon as I walked in the door.

I also chose Gold’s gym because my wife’s company has a corporate-wellness relationship with them where Gold’s offers discounts to employees and their families. While in the rep’s office, I learned that the employee must already belong to Gold’s Gym in order for the discount to extend to their family members. Fine, whatever. However, Gold’s was nice enough to offer me a law-enforcement discount. So, now instead of the corporate discount rate of 27 a month, I will be paying 36 a month. Still sounded good to me, sign me up. And he did. Quickly.

At this point, my new relationship with Gold’s Gym quickly turned sour. See…the 7 days free is not included when you join right away. At NO POINT did the Gold’s Gym representative say to me :” If you join now, I want you to realize that you wave the 7 days free. Why not do the 7 days then sign up?” That would have been excellent customer service and a professional business practice in my opinion. I would have said “Hey thanks man…good idea” and in turn, been even more excited that Gold’s is not only looking out for my health, but my wallet as well. Hell, I would have been excited enough to buy a t shirt and spend even more money. I would have went home and wrote a post about a positive customer service. Sadly, that is not how events unfolded and I writing this one instead.

Maybe that Planet Fitness commercial has a point?:

Drain their wallets bro! You drinkin’ our protein bro?

Could it be the pressure of an empty gym getting to the sales staff? A quick analysis reveals that Gold’s Gym representative did himself and his business a disservice when he refused to honor the 7 day free promotion by refunding me the $8.25. Hell, I would have taken a free t shirt.

How did I arrive at $8.25? Like this: 36 dollars a month is roughly 1.25 a day. 7 Day free trial costs the company a whopping $8.25!

If the Gold’s Gym representative had his business-thinking cap on, he would not have been happy with allowing a minimum $28 sale walk out the door with the potential for A LOT more. Even if I quit after another month, that would have been $64 ($36 +28). Instead he opted to save his company $8, while losing $64 at least. A penny-wise is a dollar foolish as they say. Not very good business sense to me, but what do I know? Perhaps that is why his gym is empty? If I was the manager, I would be concerned with just how many customers are walking out the door disgruntled. Or…like me walking out the door happy and can’t wait to get started but get home and read the paperwork and become disgruntled.

In addition, Gold’s Gym has soiled the relationship with wife’s company and pissed off someone that ha a blog with over 200 visitors a day. I will take every opportunity to inform my friends / family / co-workers / wife’s 240 employees / 200 faithful daily blog readers about the slick- used car salesman-esque sales approach Gold’s Gym successfully tried with me- it was not until I got home did I realize that the promotion was not offered to me because I was over zealous to join an empty gym.

All that potential money…. gone for 8 bucks.

I hope the Gold’s Gym rep never becomes a bartender: “Sorry you already drank your second beer. NO two drink special for you!”

Or becomes a supermarket cashier:

“Wait! I have a coupon for that!”

“Too late!! I already rang you up. So sorry. We can cancel the whole order if you wish”

As I was writing this, Laurie got this email:

Hi Laurie, i just read your email and wanted to apologize for the confusion regarding your husbands membership here at Golds. I extended the free week to him and his next payment will not be until October 27th, and every 27th of the month moving forward. I hope this helps, and if there is anything else i can do, please contact me directly. Have a great weekend.
—
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
General Manager
Golds Gym
Middletown NY 10941
845-344-GOLD

No thanks. Apology not accepted. The events never should have unfolded this way to begin with. Plus, I am not going to go workout with the Rep giving me the stink-eye from his office. No thanks. Do shit right from the start. My money is going elsewhere.

—Some people may wonder what the big deal is over 8 dollars. Well, those of you that know us, know that Laurie and I are willing to pay extra for excellent customer service. This is all about the principle and professionalism NOT about the money. If was all about money, I would have been at Planet Fitness.

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2 Comments on “Gold’s Gym”

Absolutely right on. I learned a long time ago in nursing management that one sour patient (consumer) can wipe out the comments of 100 satisfied folk. Bottom line is…the customer has the money, you NEED the money for your business, as long as the customer is not a total creep…he is right On the farm we know a few free packages of chops will likely get us the $1500 carcass sale we need to stay on our farm. Looks like Golds may soon have to change their name to RUSTS.